Here We Go Again
by KatnissEverWeasley
Summary: Tag along with Joe, Evy, Jon, Ardeth & Rick on their 2nd adventure in Egypt. The plot will follow the Mummy Returns with some twists and turns thrown in there to make it less boring than just a plot line story.
1. The Tale of the King

_Five thousand years ago a fierce warrior known as the Scorpion King led a great army on a campaign to conquer the known world. After a vicious campaign which lasted seven long years. The Scorpion King and his army were defeated and driven deep into the sacred desert of Ahm Shere. One by one, they slowly perished Under the scorching sun until only the great warrior himself was left alive. Near death the Scorpion King made a pact with the dark god Anubis that if Anubis would spare his life and let him conquer his enemies he would give him his soul. Anubis accepted his offer And spared his life. Anubis gave the Scorpion King Command of his army and like an evil flood, they washed away. All that lay before them. When his task was done Anubis forced the Scorpion King to serve him for all time. His army was returned to the sands from whence they came where they wait, silently... to be awakened once again._


	2. Yet Another Tomb Desecrated

1933

"While your aunt goes and desecrates another tomb." I caught the end of Ricks conversation with Alex. I smiled slyly to myself as I dusted off a little more of the wall reading the beautiful adorned hieroglyphics. Damn was it good to be back. I turned around to find a snake slithered up next to me. I put my foot underneath it and kicked it away from me.

"Go away." I said to it as if it could understand me. Rick just happened to be walking right where I ended up kicking it. He made a struggled scream. Oops, I laughed internally.

"Those are poisonous, you know." He said to me his beautiful eyes asking me why I'd done that as he walked over to pick up our tools.

"Only if they bite you. What was all that about?" I asked him curious what Alex had to say. Evy wanted us to watch him for a bit while she ran some errands so we decided to take him on an adventure because what 9 year old can say they've been to an old Egyptian temple.

"Nothing. Alex wanted to show me something. I swear... the kid gets more and more like Evy every day." Rick complained.

"Wish we had one of our own?" I questioned him raising my eyebrows.

"No, he's driving me crazy." Rick said smiling and leaning in to kiss me.

"Now, where were we?" Rick brushed off the question. We had decided early on it might be better to not have kids just because of what we do as our jobs got more and more publicized. I knew it wouldn't be fair to put a child in that position.

"Hammer and chisel..." I said holding up the tiny devices, he gave me a look like really Joe? I laughed.

"Just kidding love." I smiled at him and handed him a tow bar to take down the door.

"Thank you." He said smiling as he knocked down the beautiful historic door I had been reading. We walked into the tomb stepping over scorpions and spiders that were everywhere. Immediately I noticed the sleeping quarters and corpses in the wall and bones on the ground.

"Ever since I had that dream... This place is all I can think about." I started a new conversation looking at where I was stepping careful to avoid stepping on anything that could harm me.

"Ever since you had that dream, I haven't had a decent night of sleep." Rick said sounding annoyed, I rolled my eyes, that's so Rick, exaggerating. He ungracefully stepped on all the critters surrounding us not caring about what could bite or sting him.

"I feel like I've been here before. I know I've been here before." I couldn't shake the feeling of déjà vu.

"Joe, nobodies been here before, not in at least 3,000 years. Except for these guys." Rick said making his point by pointing at some corpses. Not amused I walked over to the wall where a lever was sticking out. I knew this was the way we were supposed to go. Here we go, I pulled and the door opened eerily.

"Then how do I seem to know exactly where I'm going?" I asked Rick a little snobbishly but also a tad scared. Rick got in front of me and led us down this passageway. I was so intrigued by the beautiful writings on the wall I was falling far behind him. I caught up to him where there was this entryway into a new area of the temple. I had this sense of familiarity wash over me completely, suddenly the walls were adorned in gold and some Egyptian woman was opening the door in front of me. I got a glimpse inside with two guards surrounding a box before she closed the door. The woman put a combination into the lock and pushed the door closed fully locking the guards in the room and walked towards me. She looked just like Evy could've been her twin. Everything faded back to the original colorless temple when my dense husband walked through Evelyns twin. I looked around even more confused then when I first got here. This felt different not unlike what I felt at Hamunaptra but similar. Rick stopped to turn and look at me looking at the walls.

"You okay babe?" He asked a little concern slipping into his tone, as he softened up on using the tow bar to try to pry open the door the woman had walked through.

"I just had a vision. It was like my dream, but it was real. It was like I was actually here in ancient times." I told him a little scared.

"Well, if you actually were here... Could you show me how to open this thing?" I walked over to him.

"Hold this." I said handing him my torch. I put in the combo I saw that was put in by the woman in my vision. The door creaked open.

"Now you're starting to scare me." Rick said full on tremble in his voice.

"I'm starting to scare myself." I replied voice steady. Rick walked through the door, I followed closely behind. I went to the box immediately I saw the almost gong like emblem and started brushing the cobwebs off it.

"That's the emblem of the Scorpion King. He's supposed to be pure myth. No trace of him has ever been found before. No artefacts. No archival evidence... Let's open this." I said looking at the chest.

"Joe, I don't know. I don't have a good feeling about this." Rick voiced his concerns. I knew he was worried about what could happen, last time Imhotep rose from the dead.

"Its only a chest. No harm ever came from opening a chest." I countered, I was starting to sound more and more like my sister, god what was happening to me?

"Right, and no harm ever came from reading a book. Remember how that one went with your sister?" Rick said back to me. I nodded my head, he had a point. I spun around putting my hands on Ricks chest trying to convince him with my eyes to let me do this, I had to know what was in it.

"Come on. We can't stop now." I said looking into his beautiful eyes. He looked at me giving into my gaze.

"Okay, okay.. Just remember, I was the voice of reason here." He said. I smiled and spun back around to the chest taking the knife I had on me and trying to pry open the top of the chest. As I was getting no where with the knife Rick came up with his own idea.

"Hon? Let's do it Evy's way." He said handing me the key to the chest. I smiled at him.

"The bracelet of Anubis." I whispered taking it out of the chest and holding it admiring the detail. As soon as I removed it sand started falling from the ceiling.

"Shit!" I exclaimed throwing the bracelet back into the chest and closing the case back up.

"Its a bit late for that!" Rick yelled at me.

"Put it in your rucksack." I tried reasoning with him.

"What? I got a better idea, lets leave it here." Rick countered.

"Its a bit late for that!" I yelled back at him.

"What's it say?" Rick asked. Stupid time to be asking that now Rick!

"He who disturbs this bracelet... shall drink from the Nile… Well, that doesn't sound too bad." I said but still sounded unsure. Rick threw the chest into his bag and we ran out of the room him dragging me by my arm like I was going to be left behind or something. Suddenly water came barreling at us. FUCK! This is what it was talking about. Rick pulled me around the tomb running from the water as best we could. Though we knew there was no way to get away from it. Rick finally gave in and realized we were trapped. He quickly hugged me and the water hit us. Suddenly I couldn't breathe again. So familiar from when I first reconnected with Rick. It started getting harder to tread the water and I went under. Shit. Suddenly I felt Ricks arm around me again holding me up and swimming us over to a grate where we held onto the bars to keep our heads above water.

"This is bad, Joe.." I nodded gasping for air, fair point. I'd almost died last time something of the sort happened. All of a sudden both of us were underwater gasping for air. My life wasn't flashing before my eyes yet though. The current changed altogether and we were swifted away towards the left. What the hell? How'd that happen? Suddenly I was coughing up water and looking into the worried eyes of the nephew.

"I can explain everything." Alex said thinking everything was his fault, poor kid had no idea was his aunt and uncle had just gotten into.


	3. Kidnapped

"l think the bracelet is some sort of guide to the lost oasis of Ahm Shere." I rambled on to Rick as we went through the door to my old childhood house. Evy was here somewhere, who knows where.

"EVY!" I yelled, to get no answer. Rick dropped the majority of our bags near the door.

"MOM!" Alex yelled behind us. He ran forward into the living area setting the chest on the table.

"Josephine… I know what you're thinking and the answers no. We just got home." Rick said clearly wanting to stay home and relax for a bit before we started off on another adventure. But he didn't understand my yearning to figure out what these dreams were and why I was having them. I needed to know.

"That's the beauty of it. We're already packed." I said spinning around to face my husband.

"Why don't you just give me one good reason?" Rick said walking up close to my face.

"Its just an oasis... Darling." I said to him tipping the hat he had been wearing off his head and onto the floor. I wanted this more than a lot of things lately. He needed to understand. I sighed internally.

"A beautiful... exciting... romantic... oasis." I did a full circle around him removing his scarf he had been wearing in the process. Rick pulled me closer to him by the waist. I gazed into those pretty blue eyes of his.

"The kind with the white, sandy beach and the palm trees... and the cool, clear, blue water? We could have some of those big drinks with the little umbrellas." He made a gesture trying to explain to me the tiny umbrellas. I smiled at his attempt to get the point across to me.

"Sounds good." I said happily smelling his cologne and getting even more comfy in his arms.

"Sounds too good. What's the catch?" He quickly put me at arms length. I sighed walking out of his arms, he was catching on quicker now that we were married.

"Supposedly its the resting place of Anubis army." Evelyn butted in making her presence known. I walked over to her hugging my sister, happy to see her again.

"Evy! You're home.. How's it feel to be back?" I asked her pulling away and looking into her eyes.

"Me? I should be asking you! Alex said he had fun. I saw the chest. Beautiful, I can't believe I missed it." Evy babbled on before Rick interrupted our girl talk.

"You see? I knew there's a catch. There's always a catch. How did I know that? And let me guess. It was commanded by this Scorpion King guy?" Rick butted himself back into the conversation steering it towards the outcome he wanted.

"Yes, but he only awakens once every 5,000 years." Evy said in my defense.

"And if someone doesn't kill him, he's gonna wipe out the world." Rick said. I started walking away rolling my eyes going up the staircase. He followed me.

"How did you know?" I asked skeptically but sarcastically. Evy laughed at us and went to go talk to Alex a bit more while Rick and I bickered about the scorpion king.

"I didn't, but that's always the story." Rick said knowingly.

"The last known expedition to actually reach Ahm Shere... was sent by Ramses the Fourth over 3,000 years ago. He sent over a thousand men." Evy yelled up the stairs to us.

"None of them was ever seen again." Rick said on his wipe out the world ploy.

"How did you know?" I asked smiling at his dumb antics.

"I didn't, but that's always the story." He said back to me still following me as I made my way over to the bookshelf where I knew I stored the book that I needed away.

"Did I mention the pyramid of gold?" I asked him knowing I had mentioned it already.

"Twice." Rick said getting annoyed.

"Alexander the Great sent troops in search of it." I said trying to spike his interest.

"Hooray for him." He wasn't biting.

"So did Caesar." Evy yelled up to us.

"Look what happened to his career." Rick mumbled under his breath, I stifled a laugh.

"And Napoleon." I said.

"Yeah, but were smarter than him. Taller too." Rick made his point.

"Exactly. That's why were gonna find it." I told him knowing I would win this argument or I would go without my husband on this journey.

"Because were taller?" He asked me. I rolled my eyes. I walked up the small stairs and grabbed the book I needed and jumped off into Ricks waiting arms.

"That's why I love you." I smiled at him as he set me back on my feet.

"Nice try." He knew I was trying to con him into this. Just as he was saying that I heard something fall in the next room and Evy yell that she would check it out.

"All I'm saying is lets be cautious. If anything happened to you, I would never forgive myself." Rick voiced his concerns to me. Awhh he was worried about me. He shouldn't be I could take care of myself.

"Rick. I've been doing this sort of thing my entire life you have to know I can handle any situation… Right?" I asked him actually concerned he didn't know I'd be in plenty adventures to know how to handle myself.

"Have I kissed you today?" He asked completely avoiding my question, I hated when he did that. Ugh. He leaned in to kiss me, however, I turned my head last minute so he kissed my cheek.

"I hate it when you do that." He said to me. I sighed and quickly redeemed myself by kissing him. He dipped me down extending our kiss. After we broke apart I looked up seeing someone's bra hanging from my cabinet. Rick followed my stare.

"Those knickers are not mine." I said to Rick, clearly we hadn't been home in a week or so.

"Jonathan." Rick said knowing Jon he'd probably brought some broad home. Rick went off to find Jonathan while I made my way back down the stairs to go find Evy and Alex. I ended up running into Alex first.

"Happy to be home?" I asked him.

"Couldn't be happier." Oh crap something was off I knew it in the kids tone. I choose to ignore it, I didn't wanna know yet.

"Its the Year of the Scorpion." I said to him pulling the book from behind my back showing him the page and handing him the book.

"Neat." He said reading as he did so.

"Thought you might like that. Where'd your mother get to?" I asked him curiously.

"Not sure, I thought she went into the dining room." Alex said. I nodded and walked off in the direction of our dining room to try to find Evy. I walked around the dining hall and then into the main hall to see if she'd wandered off there. I found her finally back with Alex asking about the key to the chest.

"Good evening." That's a new voice, I spun around to be met with a guy in red robes. What the hell.

"Who are you? What are you doing here?" Evy asked the million-dollar question.

"I'm looking for the chest, of course." He said matter a factly. Fuck I brought this upon us. It's always something.

"Give it to me now." He demanded as Alex picked up the chest. I walked over to my sword display picking out my favorite.

"Get out of my house before I slice you into oblivion." I said to the stranger.

"Whoa, Aunt Joe. Maybe not the best idea." Alex said from behind us. He'd never seen his Aunt fight anyone.

"Alex, get back there." Evy said as she grabbed a sword as well as more men stepped behind their leader. Well that one surprised me.

"Definitely not the best idea." Alex said again voicing concern.

"I think its time to yell for Uncle Rick now." He said from behind Evy.

"Now I will kill you and take it anyway." The man said.

"I think not." I heard Ardeth before I saw him, he walked up next to us.

"Dad!" Alex exclaimed.

"Ardeth. Nice to see you again." I said to him not taking my eyes off the intruders.

"What are you doing here?" Evy said adrenaline in her voice.

"Perhaps explanations are best kept for later." He said to his newlywed wife.

"Ardeth Bay." The man said. Oh no… They knew each other. This couldn't be good.

"Lock-Nah." Ardeth said. Then the fighting broke out. Alex and Evy ran to the back while Ardeth and I took the fighting in the front lines. I was swinging at the men in red only to realize they were holding back on their fighting skill. They were throwing all their might at Ardeth but not so much with me. I kicked one of the two I was fighting into a bookshelf as Ardeth took care of the other one.

"Not bad for a Medjai." I heard Lock-Nah say to him, ugh this asshole... I rolled my eyes, someone needed to teach him a lesson. I quickly made myself known again by jumping on his back, he flung me off hitting a wall, god damn always happens. My head hurt but I managed to get back up.

"Whats in the chest?" I heard him yell.

"The bracelet of Anubis!" I yelled back, running to help my sister with her fight.

"They must not get the bracelet." Ardeth yelled back. No shit.

"Get it and get out of here!" Ardeth yelled again. Alex tipped my bookshelf over on one of the men as Evy grabbed the chest.

"Look out!" I heard Alex yell.

"Joe!" I heard Evy yell my name too. What? What was everyone yelling about? I got punched in the face and blackness last thing I remembered was seeing red.. I woke up inside a car not much later I don't think. I saw my husband out the rear view window.

"RICK!" I yelled. Not hearing anything back. Quickly they place a rag over my mouth probably with chloroform on it. Then blackness, out once again.

* * *

Rick POV

"Uncle Rick!" I heard my name being yelled by Alex as he came running up to me with his father in tow behind him… When did he get here?

"Are you all right?" I asked my little companion.

"Yeah." Alex answered. Alright good everyone's okay. Now time to get down to business.

"O'Connell" Ardeth greeted me bowing his head. Haha he thought he could do that so easily… NOT!

"What the hell are you doing here?" I yelled grabbing Ardeth by the robes and throwing him against the podium outside.

"Rick please don't!" Evelyn begged me running up to meet me, her brother stood frozen next to me.

"Scratch that. I don't care." I said to him letting him go.

"Who the hell are those guys and where are they taking my wife?" I asked still angry.

"My friend, I'm not sure but wherever this man is your wife will surely be." He held up a picture of some other doofus in a red dress.

"Hey, I know him. He's the curator. He works at the British Museum." Alex spoke up.

"Are you sure?" Ardeth confirmed what his son was saying with his wife.

"Better believe him. He spends more time there than he does at home." Evelyn answered as I strode off towards the car.

"Okay, you're here. The bad guys are here. Joe's been kidnapped. Let me guess…" I asked him waiting for him to fill in the blanks.

"Yes, they once again removed the creature from his grave." Ardeth didn't disappoint.

"Oh that's where you were." Evy spoke up. So not the time.

"Not to point fingers, but isn't it your job to make sure that doesn't happen?" Jonathan said waving his treasured gold stick he'd held onto throughout all our fighting.

"That woman with him knows things no living person could possibly know. She knew exactly where the creature was buried. We hoped she would lead us to the bracelet. She obviously did. Now they have it." Ardeth said sounding defeated. I was ready to throw him up against the car and yell at him for this mess but I knew it wasn't his fault.

"I wouldn't get too nervous just yet." Alex pipped up from beside Evelyn. Pulling back his jacket sleeve to reveal the bracelet Joe and I had found. Ardeth held the boys arm in his hand.

"Is that gold?" Jon asked immediately distracted. I rolled my eyes, so Jonathan.

"Alex…" Evy said disappointment in her voice.

"When I stuck it on, I saw the pyramids at Giza. Then whoosh- straight across the desert to Karnak." He explained.

"By putting this on you have started a chain reaction that could bring about the next apocalypse." Ardeth scolded his son. Alex gasped and Evy smacked her husbands arm lightly.

"You, lighten up. You, big trouble. You two, get in the car." I said to everyone taking lead in our gaggle. We all got in my car and speed off towards the British Museum.

"I am sorry if I alarmed you son, but you must understand. Now that the bracelets on your wrist we have only seven days before the Scorpion King arises." Ardeth trailed off from beside me talking to Alex.

"We? What we?" I asked him.

"If he is not killed, he will raise the Army of Anubis." Ardeth told me seriously.

"I take it that's not a good thing." Jon pipped up again from behind my seat.

"Oh, he'll wipe out the world." I said sarcastically pushing the gas pedal down more wanting Joe back in my arms as soon as possible where it was safe.

"Ah the old 'wipe out the world' ploy." Jonathan sighed back to me.

"Whomever can kill the Scorpion King can send his army back to the Underworld... Or use it to destroy mankind and rule the Earth." Ardeth explained the back story.

"So that's why they dug up Imhotep `cause he's the only guy tough enough to take out the Scorpion King." Evelyn said from behind Ardeth.

"That is their plan." He confirmed his wifes theory. God damn it I thought, here we go again as I whipped the car into a spot in front of the British Museum.


	4. Magic Carpet

"Alex, I got a big job for you. Stay here and protect the car." Evy spoke up. As we were getting ready to leave.

"I could do that." Jon spoke up. He didn't always annoy me, but my wife was gone for the second time due to Imhotep so he was drawing on my last nerve.

"Jonathan!" Evy exclaimed as she hit his arm.

"Protect the car?" Alex said put off his mom would take him out of the adventure. I didn't blame the little dude.

"Come on. Just because I'm a kid doesn't mean I'm stupid." Alex replied to his mother.

"I know." Evy smiled at her son, ruffling his hair.

"If you see anyone come running out screaming, it`s just me." Jon announced sarcastically to all of us in the car.

"Maybe you should stay here and watch Alex." Ardeth jumped in. Evy looked at him silently asking if she should stay as well, he nodded. Might be good to have a parent stay behind.

"Now you're talking." Jon said, happier with this plan. I got out of the car slamming the door shut and walking over to the trunk opening it. Ardeth followed me.

"You want the shotgun?" I asked him sensing him next to me.

"No, I prefer the Thompson." He replied.

"If I were to say to you, I am a stranger travelling from the east seeking that which is lost—" Ardeth started. Weirdly enough I knew exactly what he was talking about.

"Then I would reply that I am a stranger travelling from the west. It is I whom you seek" I stopped loading the shotgun and looked at him skeptically. What was he getting at?

"So then it is true? You have the sacred mark." I looked at him oddly. He grabbed my wrist, looking at my tattoo.

"Oh that? I got that slapped on me when I was in orphanage in Cairo." I explained to him, he was making something out of nothing.

"That mark means you are a protector of man, a warrior for god. A Medjai." He started to explain things rapidly. I took my wrist back and continued loading up with weapons.

"Sorry. Wrong guy." I brushed off the issue.

Lightening struck around us as we made our way into the museum. Ardeth and I made our way through the Egyptian section I heard it before I saw what was happening. Chanting… Oh God damn it, this couldn't be good. All of a sudden the mummy in the crypts were coming to life, I'd had quite enough of mummies for a god damn while. I looked at Ardeth slightly expecting us to do something about them but we let them be and continued with our original mission: Josephine. We got to the top level when I saw this huge ring of men with torches holding some sort of ceremony. The thing I saw that frightened me the most was my wife on a wooden board her limbs bound with rope looking around as if she didn't know what to do. She looked so helpless unlike herself.

* * *

Joe's POV

I woke up rather abruptly. My head throbbing as I sat up quickly. What the hell? I looked around at my surroundings seeing the curator of the British Museum reading from the Book of the Dead. Oh fuck. I knew exactly what was happening immediately. They were trying to raise Imhotep from the grave we had put him in. Slowly Imhoteps bones started to move. He broke out of the wax he was in and looked around at these imbeciles.

"Imhotep." I whispered.

"What year is it?" He asked whomever in ancient Egyptian.

"My Lord, it is the year of the Scorpion."

"Truly?"

"Yes." Imhotep started laughing terrifyingly. A door opened and a woman started walking up the path right up to Imhotep. A vision overtook me, immediately I saw her in beautiful ancient paint. Then it stopped and I flashed back to real time.

"Do not be frightened." The curator started to say to her.

"I am not afraid." She told him not taking her eyes off the living corpse.

"I am Anck-su-namun reincarnated." She told him. Oh Jesus Christ, this bitch was crazy.

"Only in body, but soon I shall bring your soul back from the underworld and our love shall once again be whole." Imhotep said walking a circle around her and stroking her hair. I cringed inwardly. Thank god it wasn't me this time. They just stared at each other for a while. I looked away feeling like I was invading their privacy. I noticed they had stolen the chest. How in the world? They unsealed it burning the seal with some sort of chemical.

"Lord Imhotep will be most pleased." What they pulled out seemed odd to me, it was a baseball sculpture Jon had from a long time ago.

"Where is it? Where is the bracelet?" the curator asked the man in red robes.

"I think I know." He said sounding angry.

"I have a gift for you." The woman said looking at me maliciously.

"Her!" He shouted at me just about scaring the living daylights out of me. Ah fuck no. I slowly reached for my knife hidden in my boot.

"I knew it would please you to watch her die." Ah HELL NO. I quickly cut my bonds from my legs then lashed out as she snapped her fingers, the guards around me moved me. I kicked the guards as best I could but they quickly put me back into place. I was overpowered but that wouldn't stop me from fighting. They wrestled my knife from me slowly placing me near the fire that was burning.

"Shit." I cursed debating what else to do. I was gonna burn alive, this was not okay with me.

"The underworld awaits you." Imhotep told me in ancient Egyptian.

"Bastard, your going back to where you came from. Just you wait." I yelled back at him.

"Our thinking was not if we kill you first." The curator told me, I elbowed him in the face and tried to stand up on the plank they had me on. Rick suddenly came through the fire to save me. He jumped on the plank and the firing started. Ardeth must be there somewhere. Rick threw me over his shoulder and in between some crates for cover he quickly cut my wrist ties. I shook them off. Rick handed me one of my favorite guns and gave me a look as if to say don't get shot. I smirked at him and we popped back out to join the firefight. We quickly started making our way to the stairs. I hoped he knew where he was going otherwise we were going to die. Suddenly a lot of things exploded and Rick was yelling at me to go.

"Go, go, go!" I ran up another flight of stairs waiting for him to join me. I grabbed his arm dragging him with me so he wouldn't be left behind. Ardeth joined us on the stairs.

"Oh, no. Not these guys again." Rick complained, I rolled my eyes continuing to run away and up the stairs. Ardeth and Rick on my heels. We burst out the doors and into the night. I saw Evy there waiting for me. Oh thank God she was still alive. I quickly hugged her and grabbed her wrist running away. She yanked herself from my grip and grabbed the bench and started to move it in front of the door.

"EVY! What are you doing? These guys don't use doors." I yelled at her. Grabbing her again and moving from the building.

"Where the hell`s Jonathan?!" Rick yelled looking at his car skeptically as a double decker bus pulled up in front of the museum.

"What's the matter with my car?" Rick asked him sounding hurt.

"I was forced to find an alternative form of transportation." Jon started to explain himself scared of Rick.

"A DOUBLE-DECKER BUS?!" Rick yelled at him. I quickly grabbed Ricks arm. Following Evy and Ardeths example of lets just leave.

"It was his idea." Jon tried again to get himself out of the conversation.

"Was not!"

"Was too!" The two bickered.

"Just go!" Rick yelled.

"It was too!" Jon tried. Imhoteps minions suddenly burst through the brick of the museum and ran after us.

"No, no! Not my car! Oh, I hate mummies." Rick seethed, that car was his baby. He started reloading.

"Glad to see me now?" Ardeth asked Rick.

"Just like old times, huh?" Rick said back as he went up the stairs of the bus. I sat down below, looking to Evy.

"You okay?" She asked me concerned her mother qualities coming out.

"I'm fine. Just need my weapons." I said to her smiling. I looked to Alex happy he was alright. Suddenly, Ardeth started to open fire on a mummy that was trying to invade the bus. The mummies bottom half fell but it's top half came back right as Ardeth reloaded. Ah shit. I felt so helpless without my weapons. Alright time for some hand to hand. I stood up from my seat walking towards Ardeth. Ardeth was not so great at hand to hand but avoiding was working well for him so far. The mummy flung him into the window a couple times and I waited for my chance. I heard a struggle break out upstairs and tried to get to the stairs to help Rick if he needed it. I dodged the mummy who was pursuing Ardeth, knowing he could handle himself. I ran up the stairs. Immediately I saw Rick being tossed up against the ceiling I grabbed the shotgun that had gotten away from him and fired at the mummy.

"Turn, turn! Turn Jonathan Turn!" I heard Evy yell. I got flung against some seats. Promptly loosing my vision for a moment. I heard the mummy come back and start screaming at Rick. I knew he could handle himself as I waited for my vision to reappear. Rick fell to the floor reaching for the shotgun, I kicked it to him. He shot the mummy again but it still wouldn't give up. Jon turned rapidly and the shotgun fell down to the first level. I stayed where I was unsure of how to help anyone. Rick ducked and covered I knew it was coming, I saw the bridge knowing we wouldn't make that. I did the same. The mummy went splat. Rick got up making his way to me. Helping me up he held me in his arms. Jonathan finally pulled over to the side of the bridge once we had passed it. Rick just held me.

"You okay?" he asked concerned as he caressed my cheek. I leaned forward capturing his lips in a kiss. We broke apart happily just staying in a hug. Everyone was okay.

"Yes, I am now." I smiled closing my eyes enjoying the warmth he gave me. Suddenly screaming broke out downstairs. Oh God, it wasn't over. Rick and I broke apart quickly and bounded down the stairs to see Ardeth running after a car. Well that won't end well, the bridge started closing. Oh God damn it not again. The car drove off the opposite direction. Fuck. Ardeth walked back to us slowly.

"They cannot hurt him, for he wears the bracelet of Anubis." He told Evy, holding her in a hug.

"Alex is wearing the bracelet?" I asked. I looked into Ricks eyes concerned. This was our fault.

"When he put it on, he said he saw the pyramids at Giza and the temple at Karnak." Ardeth explained to us.

"At Karnak, the bracelet will show him the next step of the journey." Ardeth explained more.

"If we dont get to Karnak before them, we wont know where to look for him." Evy said close to tears. I looked at her determined.

"Don't worry Eves, we'll get him back." I said.

"Seems to me... Like we need a magic carpet." Rick said looking at me. I wracked my brain to understand what he was talking about. Of course, Izzy.


	5. Izzy

"This is the magic carpet?" Evy asked Rick a little upset about where in the hell we were. I did have to admit, Izzy's airfield was in the middle of nowhere with a wooden sign saying 'the Magic Carpet.' It looked less than luxury.

"It'll be fine. He's a professional." Rick replied pretty sure of himself. I on the otherhand was iffy. Izzy was nice but kind of unreliable and quite frankly a pussy. Just then the man of the hour walked through the giant doors that separated us from the airfield.

"Izzy!" Rick greeted him warmly. Izzy spun in a circle and ran back through the gate promply locking it and keeping us from getting through.

"Hey!" Rick said a frown crossing his features.

"He definitely remembers you." Evy said sarcastically.

"He's a little shy." Rick explained as he walked towards the door.

"Jonathan, get our bags." Rick told him not so nicely.

"Oh, my hands are full." Jon made a bullshit excuse as always.

"Now!" I yelled grabbing the gold stick from his hands. I'd been fed up the entire trip back down to Egypt. We just needed to find Alex. I was on edge.

"Right. I'll get the bags." Jon said a little afraid of me and my temper, giving me a look that asked 'what the hell Joe?'

"Ill deal with the flight details." Rick said as he shot the lock off the door and kicking it open.

"Honey, you're not a subtle man." I berated him, stepping up to him and walking in step behind him.

"We don't have time for subtle." He defended himself, I laughed a little, true.

"Izzy, come here." Rick said as he went to go get Izzy as he ran away saying 'no, no, no.' under his breath.

"Doesn't look happy to see you." Evy said to Rick.

"Never turned me down yet." Rick said looking at her sideways.

"Whatever it is, whatever you need, I don't care." Izzy told Rick while grabbing some maps.

"Forget it, O'Connell. Every time I hook up with you, I get shot. Last time I got shot in the ass. I'm in mourning for my ass." He lifted some sleeping drunks head and dropped it unsparingly.

"Remember that bank job in Marrakesh?" He went on.

"Bank job?" Evy asked Rick looking at me in the process I just shrugged. I knew what he was talking about. Oh Rick was a wild man in the old days.

"Its not like it sounds." Rick defended himself as we all followed Izzy to a makeshift tent made with sticks.

"Its exactly how it sounds. I'm flying high, hiding in the sun. The white boy here flags me down, so I fly in low for the pick-up. The next thing you know, I get shot. I'm lying in the middle of the road with my spleen hanging out... And I see him waltzing up with some belly dancer girl." Izzy explained the story although I remembered Rick telling it differently. I sighed, trying not to get angry.

"Belly dancer girl?" Evy asked looking back to me. I gave her a glance that said 'not sure, I will find out.'

"Not how I heard it. Izzy I think you and I need to have another chat." I piped up.

"As long as I don't get shot." He said to me looking at me at his last words.

"Joe, is that you?" Izzy asked unbelievingly so.

"Oh my god I thought you were dead!" Izzy continued, clearly happy the news wasn't true.

"I've been reading about you since the day you resurfaced." He went on. I smiled at him.

"We'll talk later doll." I said to him as Rick wanted to get on with the plans. He looked at me oddly, he quickly recovered from his doubt.

"Quit your whining. You're gonna get paid this time." Rick said throwing money at him. Izzy looked at it amazed at first but quickly muddled his expression.

"O'Connell, have you looked around here any? What do I need money for? What the hell am I gonna spend it on?" Izzy said pocketing the money anyway. I rolled my eyes.

"I'm gonna keep this short. Her little boys out there. I'm gonna do whatever it takes to get him back." He said gesturing to Evy and waving the gold stick near his face. I saw Evy look back at something and followed her gaze to see some guy bathing in a tub reading a newspaper. The things you see. Rick moved the stick around and noticed Izzy looking at it.

"If you give me that gold stick, you can shave my head... wax my legs and use me for a surfboard." Rick threw the stick at him. Surprisingly he caught the stick and dropped all his charts.

"Didn't we do that in Tripoli? Say, by the way, when did you lose your eye?" Rick asked him cutting his attitude down a tad. Izzy laughed a little lifting the eye patch as he did so.

"I didn't. I just thought it made me look more dashing." Rick didn't seem to like the response so he pulled the eye patch off his eye and threw it to the ground. Oh my husband, so rash.

"Come on. Get to work." He said waving his hand around like he owned the place.

"You're not catching me at my best." Izzy said as he walked away to prepare his plane talking to Evy as he did so.

"Oh, I'm sure I am." Evy said as she caught up to me walking a little ahead. We were met with Ardeth and his herd of Medjai he had rounded up. I guess that's where he had got to. He dashed away from London real quick before we had booked our own details to get to Egypt.

"I knew it. I'm gonna get shot." Izzy said under his breath as he saw the 'intruders'.

"These are the commanders of the 12 tribes of the Medjai." Ardeth explained hopping off his horse and walking up to us.

"Horus." A beautiful falcon swopped down to meet his arm perching on it.

"Pet bird." Jon spoke up smiling at it a little.

"My best and most clever friend. He will let the commanders know of our progress so that they may follow." He explained more stroking Horus as he did so. Evy walked up to him stroking the bird as well. I'm sure she was very happy to be reunited with her husband. We had been venturing without him for a couple days. Rick seeing the two together took a step back and put his arm around me. I snuggled into him. It'd been a while since we were… intimate-ish. I'd been worried sick for losing Alex and felt absolutely terrible about it.

"Allah hu mana" Ardeth said making a gesture towards his herd. They mirrored him and rode off into the desert.

"If the Army of Anubis arises... They will do all they can to stop it." Ardeth said to us hopeful. I knew Rick and I were very determined to get Alex back maybe even more so than his parents. Izzy stole a glance at us and looked at me questioningly before gesturing our gaggle to move towards where he had prepared a… Balloon. A giant fucking balloon.

"Isn't she beautiful?" Izzy said proud of his balloon.

"Its a balloon." Rick said to him pointing out the obvious. Unwinding his arm from around my form.

"Its a dirigible." Izzy said a little laughing at Rick.

"Where's your airplane?" Rick asked a little peeved, oh shit, I knew that tone.

"Airplanes are a thing of the past." Izzy replied to him still happy.

"Izzy, you were right." Rick said.

"Rick…" I warned him.

"I was?" Izzy asked having no idea what was coming.

"Yeah, you're gonna get shot." Rick said pulling out his gun and racking the slide.

"RICK!" I yelled. He stopped his action and looked at me.

"Whoa whoa whoa, she's faster than she looks. And she's real quiet. Perfect for sneaking up on people, which is a very good thing. Unless, of course, we go with your approach- barging in face first, guns blazing, gettin` your friends shot in the ass." Izzy replied to him feeling the need to explain himself.

"Why can't you people ever keep your feet on the ground?" Ardeth asked no one in particular. We all boarded the dirigible and sooner than we knew it day turned to night. We had a beautiful sunset with the pyramids in the background I looked over the edge of the ship and stayed there wondering what was awaiting us. I heard Jon and Ardeth get into a conversation but blocked them out promptly. Evy walked up to me.

"You know it's not your fault Josephine." She said standing next to me.

"No Eves it is. I feel so terrible, I'm so sorry." I went on to apologize but she stopped me.

"It isn't, Joe, Alex put the bracelet on himself, getting kidnapped now that's a different story for later." She tried to reason with me. Just then I heard Jon and Izzy get into a tussle over the gold stick. I looked behind me.

"Jonathan!" I shouted to him. He immediately let go. Izzy smiling in the process. He backed away the controls and sauntered up to Evelyn and myself.

"So Joe, this your family?" He asked me, I nodded. I met Izzy in the Royal Air Corps. I did a job with him a while ago when I first started drifting away from home. By happenstance I briefly met Rick on that trip. I nodded at him answering the question.

"Yes, this is Evy, Evelyn Car-… Bay now." I corrected myself. Still wasn't used to it.

"My younger sister. And that idiot over there who was fighting you over the gold stick is my brother Jonathan." I explained to him.

"And where does Rick fit into all this?" He asked looking at the rock on my finger.

"Well, we reconnected when I joined the French Foreign Legions, not together at this point. I posed as a man to get in. It was quite an adventure. We ended up in Hamunaptra and well I lost him… A couple years later he resurfaced and I found him in a Cario prison where my family and I were going to go back to Hamunaptra. You know what it's a long story about what happened there I'll tell you some other time. But eventually we just kinda fell together and I married him." Evy laughed a little about how I skipped the details. It wasn't time to tell him about what happened at Hamunaptra.

"Well thank goodness for that, you two make a wonderful couple. I always knew he liked you." Izzy smiled at me approvingly. I smiled back. He walked back to the controls and guided us towards where we needed to go.

"He's quite a character." Evelyn pointed out. I laughed, oh she had no idea.


	6. Memories

The next morning came around all too quickly. Evy had rejoined Ardeth who was talking to Rick about something and I decided to spend some quality time with my brother and by quality I mean me play fighting with him. Teaching him some more hand to hand combat.

"C'mon Jon, I know you can do better than that." I said as he let out a wimpy punch at me. He threw another one at me attempting to get better. It was a tad better than the last but still could use some work.

"Joe puh-lease when am I ever going to need this?" He asked me whining, now I knew where Alex got it from.

"You never know Jon, trouble seems to have a way of finding us." I said back to him as I dodged his punches and threw one of my own only to have him dodge it.

"You mean trouble has a way of finding _you_." He replied back as he made a punch at me and got me. He smiled proud of himself, I knew I could take him down a peg easily by wrestling him to the ground but I just let him have this one. I laughed as I threw my punches at him trying to go easy on him. He blocked my every advance.

"Good job Jon. Wanna do some defense?" I asked him, my defense consisted of him trying to get out of a hold I would put him in. He sighed exasperated we had been practicing all day. I didn't blame him.

"Joe, I think I gotta call it for the night." He said to me exhaustion clear in his voice and sweat dripping from his forehead.

"Alright, alright." I said as I plopped down next to him on our makeshift chairs.

"Say what was with you earlier back there?" He asked me giving me a side glance making sure I was alright. I rested my elbows on my knees and sighed hanging my head. Finally, I looked back at him.

"I just feel like this is all my fault, if Rick and I would've never went after the bracelet…" I trailed off. He nodded sullenly, scooting closer to me and putting an arm around me in a brotherly manner rubbed my cheek with his knuckle.

"It's alright old mum. It happens, we can't blame you for adventuring, it's in all of our blood. Plus, I know Alex loves adventure just as much as the rest of us." He told me. I smiled at him, he unraveled his arm from around me and scooted back over.

"Besides maybe we'll find more treasure, I hear that pyramid has a giant diamond on top. I plan on retrieving it and stealing back all that money I lost." He smiled proudly. I laughed. Either that or he'll die trying. God help that man and his need for money.

"Listen, what can we expect from our old friend Imhotep?" I heard Ricks voice out of nowhere.

"His powers are returning quickly. When he reaches Ahm Shere, even the Scorpion King won't be able to stop him." Rick put his head in his hands and sighed. Here we go, all over again except two immortal creatures will be after us. Suddenly, I had a weird feeling overcome me, I got up from where I was sitting near Jon and to the side of the ship where Evy was almost like a hypnotic state overtook me.

"It's time to remind you of who you are." I heard a voice say in ancient Egyptian. Unexpectedly, the clouds around the ship turned into one of my visions. I saw two women dressed in beautiful gold clothing holding sais. Ready for a fight. They turned away from each other.

"Pah Eu" I heard and someone clapped from beside me. The two women immediately turned around and started clashing their sais against each other. Confused of who they were I looked around me at the men surrounding me, I was pretty sure it was Seti. The one beside me in the chair looked happily at the two. He had something to do with this 'competition' I wasn't quite sure yet what it was. Imhotep was another one face I recognized near me. I glared at him. One of the women fell to the floor disrupting my thoughts. She took off her mask. I gasped but it seemed like no one noticed. It was Evelyn, or someone who greatly resembled her. My instinct to keep her safe kicked in but I couldn't move from my spot. It was like I was glued to the floor. As confused as I was, the fight played on.

"Put your mask on, Let's not scar that pretty face." The woman Evy was fighting took off her mask as well as she said this. Not sure who this was but I was pretty sure it was Anck-Su-Namun. The fighting continued and soon Evy was derailed of her weapons so she ran to get another one making a cool gymnastic flip on her way to get one from the wall. Anck-Su-Namun did the same throwing her sais away into the genital area of some male statues. I smirked. Suddenly, Evy had gotten her axe thrown away in a different direction by Anck-Su-Namun and she was once again weaponless. I yearned to go help her but as soon as she was on the ground and Anck-Su-Namun had flipped her over and held a spear at her neck.

"You are learning quickly, Nefretiri, I'll have to watch my back." She said.

"Yes, and I'll watch mine." Anck-Su-Namun dropped the spear and bowed walking away as the guy next to me got up and walked towards the two women.

"Bravo, Bravo! Who better to protect the Bracelet of Anubis than my lovely daughter, Nefretiri, and who better than to protect me, than my future wife, Anck-Su-Namun." The man said hugging Evy. He reached his hand out to me to join the hug but not before I noticed Anck-Su-Namun and Imhotep sharing a guilty longing look with each other. It almost seemed like we flashed forward because now Evy was in her room and I was bidding her goodnight. As I was walking to who knows where I saw a man who looked vaguely like Rick. He was one of my soldiers that I oversaw.

"Sakhmet." He said and I stopped in my tracks I looked at him.

"Ptah." I smiled at him. He drew closer to me.

"Not here." I said in ancient Egyptian smiling at him as I led him to a my room not too far away from Evelyns by the hand. Immediately once we entered my room this man was kissing me I must've knew him from somewhere. I guess he was my secret lover? As soon as we began I heard a knock at my chamber door. I told Ptah to go to the balcony, so we wouldn't be caught.

"Enter." I said my voice clipped.

"Princess, you're needed by Nefretiri." He informed me. I nodded leaving with the guard.

"Of course, when am I not." I grumbled and the man led me outside my room to a balcony where my sister was overlooking the city.

"Sorry, I just needed to talk to someone about what happened today." She told me as I entered the room.

"Of course, I'm always here for you Nefretiri." I told her. Her eyes caught something as I followed where she was looking I saw Anck-Su-Namun meeting Imhotep. That bitch, I knew she was no good for father. Suddenly, the curtains closed so we couldn't see what was happening.

"Father, he's in trouble." Evy or Nefretiri said to me.

"Do something!" She yelled at me.

"MEDJAI! My father needs you." I yelled down to the guards beneath our balcony. To my orders my guards started running towards Seti just as Anck-Su-Namun and Imhotep started to stab and slice him into pieces. My sister yelled, falling over the balcony.

"NO!" I yelled falling over grabbing her ankle to help her. I couldn't be loosing two family members in one day. Suddenly, reality came back to me. I was hanging over the ships edge with Evy's ankle in my hand and Rick holding onto me.

"JOE!"

"EVELYN!" Rick and Ardeth yelled simultaneously. Ardeth, Rick and Jon's joint effort pulled us back onto the ship. They sat us down and put a blanket around us. I sat next to Rick his arms around me in a hug.

"Joe, I know you haven't been yourself lately with these dreams and visions— Evy you said you were having them too." Rick started the conversation. Ardeth looked guilty, he seemed to understand what was happening all too soon.

"No, they're memories from our previous lives." Evy stepped in more eager to talk about what had happened than I was. I was still trying to understand.

"Honestly, I'm not losing my mind. It all makes perfect sense now." She went on looking at Ardeth he wrapped his arm around her.

"I sentenced him to death." I whispered. It just hit me. I understood everything. This is why Imhotep wanted me dead.

"That's why we found the bracelet?" Rick asked me. I honestly wasn't sure why we found the bracelet since Evy was its protector.

"I was its protector. I must've told Sakhmet everything when I invited her back into my room that night." Evy started rambling. My brain was going a thousand miles a minute trying to wrap my head around the situation.

"Now do you believe, my friend? Clearly, you were destined to protect this woman, as I am with Evelyn." Ardeth said clearing things up slowly for everyone not in our heads.

"Right. Shes a reincarnated princess, and I'm a warrior for God." Rick said unbelievingly.

"Actually, you're a Medjai." I whispered to him as he kissed my cheek happy he didn't lose me to falling off the ship.

"Now our son leads the way to Ahm Shere. Three sides of the pyramid. This was all preordained

thousands of years ago." Ardeth said looking at Evy.

"And how does the story end?" Evy asked her husband looking into his chocolate eyes.

"Only the journey`s written, not the destination." Ardeth replied to her going all spiritual.

"Convenient." Rick said once again sarcastically rolling his eyes confused still about the situation we had found ourselves in.

"Honestly, Rick I was having visions when we first resurrected Imhotep on accident." I told him looking at his face, I saw worry cover his features as he looked back to Ardeth.

"How else do you explain Joe's visions?" Ardeth asked him.

"And our son who wears the bracelet?... How do you explain your mark?" He asked Rick trying to make him see his point.

"Coincidence." Rick scoffed at him. I understood the situation did sound insane but he wasn't the one reliving scenes from his past life. I knew he didn't want to believe it.

"My friend, there is a fine line between coincidence and fate." Ardeth said trailing off. We were all clearly meant to be together. Now one problem solved I knew what I needed to do.. Revenge was needed, Imhotep would die, forever and he wouldn't ever be coming back. I was going to kill him.


	7. Death is Only the Beginning

The next morning, we arrived in Karnak in the late afternoon. Rick and I were anxious to get off the ship. Izzy tied the ship down as Rick and I ran to the train that the red robed people were on as Ardeth ran to the temple. I cleared one of the rooms while Rick cleared the other half.

"They're gone. We've lost them." I yelled to Rick as I hopped out of the locomotive car. I joined Rick on the outside of the train just as I heard Evy yell.

"ARDETH!" She screamed bloody murder. Jesus fuck Evy. We sprinted to meet her in the temple. I walked in surrounded by all the once beautifully embezzled walls stroking my hand across them wishing I could read what all of the pillars said but that would take forever and we didn't have that kind of time.

"Alex left us his tie... And he made us a little sand castle. It's the Temple Island of Philae. They've gone to Philae." I smiled, my nephew was one smart cookie. just like his mother.

"Attaboy, Alex. Come on!" Rick said running back towards the ship. We hopped aboard. The ride to Philae was pretty short, I didn't get off this time instead I stayed and admired the view from where we were, I knew if Alex was leaving these breadcrumbs it wouldn't be long until we found them. Philae was beautiful, maybe a spot for a future vacation I smiled to myself as the thoughts consumed my head. Once Rick, Evy and Ardeth got back on board they told us we'd be going to the temple of Abu Simbel. Ardeth wrote a note and sent Horus on his way to the 12 tribe leaders. Soon we were surrounded by rock happily cruising through the beautiful landscape.

"That's the Blue Nile down there." Rick pointed out the obvious as he looked over the side of the ship.

"We must be out of Egypt by now." Rick said feeling confident we were getting closer to Alex.

"In ancient times, all this still belonged to the upper kingdom. The oasis must be around here somewhere." Evy said feeling the same way I was. I was getting very impatient as we drew closer, I longed for the ground and to be in action again. I hated being in the sky for so long although I knew this was the quicker way to get things done and to find Alex sooner. But by god if I wasn't on the ground soon so help me I was going to attack someone or throw myself off the ship, this time literally.

"Don't worry. We'll find him. He's a smart kid. He'll leave us a sign." Rick said once again trying to soothe my sister in this stressful process. I smiled. Suddenly, I had this horrible feeling come over me. It seemed like paranoia so I brushed it off, then I saw Izzy's face portraying the same thing. Oh no… I started to hear something coming for us. Whatever it was I had no idea but immediately I saw it from the back of the ship. My family had been at the front. I was paralyzed, I couldn't move as I saw the giant wave of water with Imhotep's face in it.

"We're in trouble!" Izzy screamed alerting us to the danger.

"Wow." I heard Jonathan breathe out amazed to see this giant wave of water coming towards us. It took us a while to actually register what was happening.

"Horus, fly!" Ardeth said immediately the bird took off knowing he needed to get away from the water that would soon overtake our airship.

"Izzy, come hard right! Starboard! Starboard!" Rick yelled eager to get us away from this the threatening water wave. Just as the face attempted to swallow us Rick ran to me and grabbed my waist so I wouldn't fall down as the ship propelled forwards and Izzy guided us to safety. Even with Izzys best efforts the water splashed over us. Promptly soaking Rick and I. Shit, wet. I shivered as we recovered Rick kept his arms around me trying to warm me up with his body heat.

"Was there a little something you forgot to mention? Hmm…?" Izzy said glaring at Rick and I.

"People?" Jon asked drawing our attention to the beautiful scenery before us. Rick guided me towards the front of the ship. The Oasis. Oh my god. I couldn't believe the beautiful sight before me. It was stunning, jungle surrounded the lone pyramid out in the middle of nowhere. Cascading waterfalls were flowing down the rock with no end.

"Ahm Shere." Ardeth breathed out happily. Rick got a spyglass and looked at the pyramid.

"Right." He said putting the glass down.

"He's back!" Izzy yelled drawing our attention to the back of the ship once again.

"Hang on!" Izzy yelled as he was about to propel us forwards again, Rick grabbed my waist in preparation. The face roared at us ready to take us down. Izzy's little trick did propel us forwards for a good 3 seconds then nothing everything stopped.

"Izzy!" I yelled concerned what the fuck was happening. The face drew closer.

"Well, that's not good." He said matter a factly. Izzy ducked below the controls.

"Hang on!" Rick yelled as we spiraled downwards out of the sky. We hit the ground with good impact but the ship made the slide a lot better. I quickly changed out of my wet clothes in the corner of the jungle where no one could see me. Happy I was finally dry-ish I walked back over to the gang.

"We're gonna go their son. Then were gonna want to get out of here fast, so make this work, Izzy." Rick said as he handed supplies to Ardeth, Evy and Jon like an assembly line. Jon was complaining but I was just happy to be back on the ground.

"You dont understand. This thing was filled with gas. Not hot air, gas. I need gas to get this thing in the air. Where am I gonna get gas around here? Bananas? Mangoes? Tarzans ass? Maybe I could finagle it to take hot air.…" Izzy rambled on trying to get Rick to see the problem but eventually realizing something needed to work.

"But do you know how many cubic meters I'd need? Its too big!" He went on.

"If anybody can fill this thing up with hot air, Izzy, its you." Rick replied to him coming over to stand next to me.

"Come to Daddy." I heard Jon say from beside me as he stole back his golden stick. I rolled my eyes at him. He was determined to take this thing back with him. We all grabbed a portion of our supplies and headed off into the jungle.

"Horus." Ardeth called and once again sent the bird off on his way to tell the tribe leaders where to go.

"So, Rick, what's the plan?" Jon said getting to the point.

"Let's find some higher ground." He answered from behind him. Rick had a good plan in place it seemed. A shot rang through the air. My brain wracked itself to what was happening I check my person, no, no I was fine.

"Horus!" Ardeth screamed, when the bird didn't reply or come back he turned to us.

"I must go." Evy went forwards to reason with him.

"Wait, no you can't go." Evy pleaded with him.

"To tell the commanders where we are. If the Army of Anubis arises—" Ardeth said struggling between his son and his job.

"Ardeth, this is our son. I think they'll understand." Evy tried to reason. He gave her a look of longing.

"You're right, this is our first priority." Ardeth said. He kissed Evy on the cheek to make her feel better.

"Thank you." She whispered to him. He ran forwards to lead our group further into the jungle. Day quickly turned to night almost too quickly for my liking, I wasn't too prime on the jungle with all the bugs that were trying to bite me but I was just happy to be on my feet and with my weapons once again. We soon found a place to settle for a bit and camp out for the night.

"You hear that?" Rick asked Ardeth as he started loading his weapons.

"What?" Ardeth asked him.

"Nothing. Absolutely nothing." He replied putting his pistol away and loading a shotgun next. I was loading my own and sharpening my knifes, my favorite blades were sharper than needed but that's how I chose to fight. If I cut myself, that was a good thing.

"My word! I say, chaps, look at this. Shrunken heads. I'd love to know how they do that…. Just curious." Jon said to us as he showed us a shrine of shrunken heads. As he threw his torch in the ground to light up the ground before us. We all looked at him like he was insane.

"You any good with that?" Ardeth walked up to Jon asking about his rifle.

"Three times Fox and Hound`s grand champion I'll have you know. You any good with that?" He countered the question back on Ardeth. I laughed knowing he had an awakening coming from Ardeth.

"You'll know soon enough... Because the only way to kill an Anubis warrior is by taking off its head." He replied twirling his sword at Jon and resting it at his neck. Jon gulped.

"I'll remember that." He said to Ardeth backing down from his original argument. Ardeth nodded at him. I walked up to Evy throwing her one of my shotguns, she caught it with little trouble.

"Try to remember to... Just keep it tight in the shoulder and... Lead the target a little bit,

and then squeeze the trigger- Don't pull it." I told her promptly. She looked at me.

"I wont miss." She told me. I nodded, smiling at her. Rick walked over to me, staring down at me, he grabbed my hand pulling me over to the side so we had privacy.

"I love you." He said, a strain in his voice.

"What's wrong?" I asked him. He shook his head.

"I love-" I started, trying to tell him I loved him too. He cut me off mid sentence kissing me. I wrapped my arms around his neck happy to be in his arms again. It'd been so long since we had this kind of tenderness. Always being on the move kind of hindered us from being so close with each other. It was a different kind of closeness we shared. Just as we started to deepen the kiss he pulled away and left me standing there as he ventured off with Ardeth into the forest. I looked down at the ground and sighed. I knew he would be back. He needed to come back, I couldn't live without him. Evy came over to me after Ardeth had given her a quick kiss, Jon came up next to us. Our little family back together. Jon hugged both of us.

"It's gonna be fine loves." He said to both of us.  
"Jonathan.." I said.

"That's my husband down there and my son down there. Make me proud." Evy said cocking her weapon ready for a fight.

"Todays that day, Evy." He said nodding at me as we watched Rick and Ardeth travel into the jungle to find Alex. Evy took a knee while Jon and I remained standing. All the red clothed men were moving very slowly I had lost track of Alex with the grass being so tall. Rick and Ardeth were stealthily moving towards them. Very slowly red men started disappearing beneath the grass being pulled down by some unknown source. Shooting broke out among them but no one from our side was shooting, so what were they shooting at? This may actually work to our advantage. Panic broke out and everyone started running different directions. Rick and Ardeth finally broke into the clearing. Shooting at everything that moved the fight was very sloppy. I started shooting at the people who would end up getting in their way to Alex. Suddenly, two people popped up behind Rick I quickly took them out as he was taking out his two hand guns. Alex was cornered and suddenly Rick came to his rescue running away from Lock Nah with Alex on his shoulder. Ardeth took over the fight with Lock Nah. Lock Nah kept attacking as Ardeth was defending himself. Evy, Jon and I were debating whether to move down with them or not, I decided to take little steps towards everyone.

"OFFENSE ARDETH OFFENSE!" I yelled to him my position hidden by the trees. He picked up his pace and finally had the adventage in his fight with Lock Nah. Ardeth didn't waste much time, he quickly cut his hand off and right after his neck his head slowly falling off as his body hit the floor. I smiled he was safe. Now to find out where Rick got to with Alex. A shot rang out as I was making my way down the hill. I looked up at my siblings they nodded that everything was fine.

"Let's go" Evy said acknowledging the fight was over.

"Thank god for that." I heard Jon say as my siblings joined me and we all started running off to see where everyone had gone. We finally met up with Rick and Alex with no idea where Ardeth had gotten to.

"Rick!" I said throwing myself into his arms and kissing him wholly. Him being surprised by my reaction was stunned but quickly kissed me back dipping me into a salsa like move.

"Mom!" Alex said. Evy and him embracing.

"Alex!" She said happy to have him back.

"Nice shootin`, Tex." Rick said to Jonathan after he had set me back on my feet.

"What were those creepy pygmy things?" Jon asked him we had noticed a few when we were running but didn't think much of them.

"Just the local natives." Rick said waving his hand at the matter.

"Are you sure?" Jon asked unsure of himself and Rick at that moment.

"I'm sure. It was nothing." Rick told him. However, I knew his tone in that said I'm not worried unless they get a hold of you.

"Come on, Mom. Come on, Uncle Rick." Alex started yelling.

"We have to get to the pyramid. I have to get the bracelet off now!" He said almost belligerent.

"Leave it on Alex. Looks good on you." Jon said to him resting his weight on his gun.

"No, you guys, you don't understand. It'll kill me if I don't get inside the pyramid before the sun hits it... Today!" he said worried. Oh my god.

"Oh, my God." Evy and I let out a sigh, I couldn't believe this was happening to us.

"Time to go!" Rick yelled to us as there was movement in the bushes behind us.

"I thought you said it was nothing!" Jon yelled at Rick as we all started running back on a trail that would get us to the pyramid I hoped.

"Where`s Jonathan?" Evy yelled looking back at me.

"He's-" I looked behind me, ah shit he was right behind me. What the fuck Jonathan, now was not the time to go gallivanting off on your own.

"Wait for me!" I heard Jon yell once again behind me, we had just crossed a huge crevasse with a river at the bottom and a fallen tree that lead us across it.

"Hurry up, Jonathan!" Evy yelled as he made his way across the bridge.

"What's that for?" Jon asked as Rick lit some dynamite and threw it to our pygmy friends.

"Oh nothing, just something in case of an emergency." He said as they caught it ad we caught our breath. The bridge blew up and the pygmys fell to their death. OH my god I was out of breath I was not in shape for this. Too. Much. Running.

"Rick." Evy breathed out his name as she saw the sun rising.

"Let's go, Alex." He said taking his arm and running a little ahead of us. I came up the rear ready to fight off whatever came at us. Finally, we got to where Rick and Alex were. Happy with how things turned out Evy ran up to them smiling her head off I stayed where I was letting them have their moment.

"They made it." I smiled happily to Jon.

"Yes. Great. Fabulous." Jon said taking off his backpack staring in awe at the pyramid. I took in all it's beauty. Suddenly, there was a sharp pain in my stomach. Before I could take in what was happening I looked into the eyes of Anck-Su-Namun. That motherfucking bitch that she was. She twisted the knife inside of me, I yelled out in pain. Then she pulled it out. I was going to reach for my gun and shoot her ass but I couldn't, I was in too much pain. Oh my god this was one of the worst feelings ever. I fell to my knees in absolute agony.

"NO!" Rick yelled and ran up to me catching me before I fell to my back.

"JOE." Rick said to me looking in my eyes, his voice was starting to fade and everything around him starting to turn white.

"Joe, no. You're real strong. You're gonna make it. You're fine." Rick tried to reassure himself. A tear started to fall from my eyes I briefly took a look over to Alex, Evy and Jon. I loved them, Evy looked at me hugging Alex's head. Jon had gotten up from where he was thrown by Imhotep and rushed back over to Evy and Alex.

"What do I do?" Rick asked me.

"I'm so sorry Rick." I apologized slowly to him my eyes begging to take me towards the beautiful white light that awaited me if I finally closed them.

"Sweetheart, no." He begged with me.

"I love you." I told him smiling sadly, I knew this was it.  
"Joe? Joe… No. Come back, Joe. Come back." That's all I heard as I shut my eyes for all eternity I didn't have the strength to urge another word to Rick to make him understand all was going to be fine. There were so many things I needed to say to him, to my siblings, to teach Alex… But no this was it. No more Imhotep, no more Anck-Su-Namun, no more Rick, Evelyn or Jon, no more Josephine Rose O'Connell. I was dead and I was alone.


	8. I Saw the Light

_I opened my eyes afraid to look around at my surroundings, slowly I took a deep breath trying to calm myself. I opened my eyes. I was in my childhood house, my current house where I resided with Rick and my family. Everything was light, beautifully adorned and exactly how we had left it. My attention drifted as I heard something in the kitchen, I slowly looked around making my way to where I had heard someone humming my favorite song. Suddenly, in the living room I heard the record player start playing that same song, I Saw the Light started playing through the house. I glanced into the kitchen where I saw my mother, not even looking like she had aged at all. I walked in slowly, confused at what I was seeing._

 _"Sweetie!" she exclaimed._

 _"I just made breakfast." She smiled at me as if nothing had changed since childhood. She looked at me suddenly a little aware of my awe of her._

 _"What's wrong hun? You look like you've seen a ghost." Before I could speak my dad waltzed into the room a cigarette in his mouth. He took a drag from it as my mom glared at him._

 _"Howard… You know how I feel about that in the house." She scolded him lightly. He smiled at her taking the cig out of his mouth and kissing her on the cheek. He looked to me._

 _"Josephine! How lovely, it's been lonely here." I sat there at the counter bewildered._

 _"Smells wonderful honey." Dad spoke again. I was beyond confused. Mom placed a plate of food in front of me. Eggs and bacon. I looked at it._

 _"Eggs and bacon, right?" She looked at me expectantly. I nodded slowly still processing everything that had happened._

 _"You're dead." I blurted out. A look of concern crossed her face._

 _"Yes, we all are." She spoke slowly. Dad turned around to face me drawing his attention to me to explain._

 _"Honey, this is heaven." He smiled at me. I saw the light in his eyes. I leaned forwards stealing a cigarette out of his breast pocket of his jacket. I raised my eyebrows at him expectantly. I put the cig in my mouth for him to light. My mother frowned stealing the cigarette out of my mouth before he could light it._

 _"After breakfast." She said handing the cigarette back to my dad. I groaned at her mothering. It was like being a child again. I picked up my fork and began shoveling eggs and bacon into my mouth not realizing how hungry I was._

 _"So.." She started talking again._

 _"Rick is a very nice guy for you." I just about spat my food back out of my mouth. Looking at her with wide eyes having no idea what to say to her. My dad smirked at her._

 _"Maybe we should ease into things huh?" He laughed a little handing the cigarette back to me and lighting it as I put it in my mouth. I took a long drag from it and exhaled._

 _"How'd you meet?" Mom pressed forwards._

 _"It's a long story. Which you probably already know." I said to her. She smiled at me knowingly. Dad drew the conversation._

 _"Evelyn and Ardeth. I'm happy they finally got Alex back." He said. I smiled knowing I hadn't died in vain if they finally figured things out._

 _"You take good care of your siblings." He smiled at me._

 _"Jonathan seems to be a lost cause." He laughed out rolling his eyes as he moved to the chair next to me._

 _"He'll figure it out." I breathed out slowly._

 _"Care to dance?" He asked me holding out his hand. I stamped out my cigarette on the ash tray near by and reached to grab his hand as he led me into the living room where the record player was starting to play a different song. My mother followed us sitting down on a chair grabbing a book and reading as my dad waltzed me around the room._

 _"Am kum Ra Am kum Dei" I heard Evelyns voice in my ears as I was dancing with my father. I stopped suddenly looking around at my surroundings._

 _"Efey Sakrah Efdey Sakrah….. Amenophus" I gasped the wind coming out of me as I looked at my father._

 _"Bye love we'll see you on the otherside some other day." He smiled walking over to my mum. My eyes shut it was like being pulled through to another dimension._


	9. Resurrected

I gasped awake sitting up quickly almost bumping heads with Alex. I took in my surroundings. Seeing Alex with the Book of the Dead and Evy sitting next to him smiling at me. Quickly I was surrounded by both their arms in a hug. I smiled at them still a little shaken from my experience of which I wasn't sure what happened exactly, was it heaven? I brushed it out of my mind quickly when Evelyn leaned towards me.

"I wasn't sure if that was going to work." Evy whispered in my ear. I squeezed her tightly then let her go moving on to Alex. I ruffled his hair.

"Hey little man." I said to him as he tackled me again with another hug. I laughed happily

"Don't you dare do that again." He said to me smiling as he pulled away from me. I looked around a little noticing Jon wasn't there.

"Where's Jon?" I asked her. She nodded her head to where Jon was.

"Take care of Alex?" I asked her as I quickly got up and started to walk over to where Jon was. Evy grabbed my arm stopping me quickly.

"Wait Joe, I can't." Tears were starting to form in her eyes. I knew she was scared but I needed her to be strong.

"You can Eve's I'll be fine, I've got nothing left to die for. You do, you have a family, let me do this for you _Nefretiri_ " The name caught me off guard it slipped out of my mouth. Evy stood up straighter and stood behind Alex hugging him to her chest. She nodded at me as I left to go find Jon and Anck-Su-Namun fighting. Just as Jonathan was about to get a sai through the heart I jumped in, grabbing Annk-Su-Namun's arm stopping her.

"Why don't you quit picking on my brother and pick on someone your own size." I told her as I threw her off him and grabbed his arm shoving him out of the way.

"Joe!" He smiled at me, not concerned about me throwing him out of the way at all.

"Go help Rick. Evy's got Alex." I told him as he strode off towards where Evy and Alex were hidden. I looked Anck-Su-Namun up and down gaging her reaction after she'd killed me before seeing me again didn't seem to faze her. I looked at her grabbing the nearest sais from the Anubis statue next to me as I saw Evy, Jon and Alex run down the corridor to help my husband who stupidly went to avenge my death.

"Sakhmet" she breathed out looking afraid of me. I smiled at her disadvantage feeling the rage and power flow through me.

"Anck-Su-Namun." I spoke her name spinning the sais in my hands loving the feeling of them.

"Dai-u (Good)" she spoke to me. Although I wasn't her partner before a part of me felt I had some advantage after all I had sentenced Imhotep to death in my past life. She started slashing at me as I blocked her attempts first playing defense as she wasted her energy. I ducked as we switched places. Turning around rapidly to avoid getting hit. I played offense after thoroughly enjoying her energy spit. She backed me up til I hit the podium behind me. Fuck I couldn't entirely match her.

"You remembered the old ways." She spoke to me. I heard a cough from behind me Evy was there with her own pair of sais I noticed the spark in her eyes. I quickly headbutted Anck-Su-Namun and moved out of the way for Evy to get her share in. I knew she wanted into the fight so I decided to back down and let her. I watched as her and Evy raised blades against each other. She seemed in her element so I let her be going to the corridor to see where the fight had led with Rick and Imhotep with the Scorpion King. I didn't make myself known just yet just leaning up against the wall taking in the immense insanity that we had gotten ourselves into again. I sighed heavily. Suddenly, Anck-Su-Namun ran past me with Evy in tow.

"I thought you were going to kill her Eves!" I spoke as she ran and stopped next to me.

"Things changed." She said as I watched Rick get hit by the Scorpion Man thing and fall pretty hard onto the floor.

"Take care of her." I said gesturing towards Anck-Su-Namun as I yelled for Rick running towards him but not knowing what to do to help I stopped. I reached for my gun, pulling it out of my waistband and shooting the horrid creature.

"Josephine!" Rick yelled back to me surprised I was alive and shooting at his enemy. It just seemed to make the Scorpion King more angry, I stopped taking in this new information stowing the gun back in my waistband. Anck-Su-Namun came out of nowhere and pushed me up against the wall again. Evy grabbed her by the hair and pulling her away from me. I noticed Jon fucking around with some spear.

"Jonathan quickly! Stop messing around!" I ran towards him trying to make myself useful. But as I ran away Evy was in the same predicament I had been in just a couple seconds ago.

"Throw it! Kill the Scorpion King! Send his army back to the Underworld!" I heard Evy yell to him. I was mid run towards him when I heard him say:

"Step aside Alex I'm a professional." Fuck. He was no such thing. As he threw it I saw Imhotep grab it mid throw.

"The Army of Anubis shall now be mine." I heard the words fall out of Imhoteps mouth. I quickly ran to him trying to help out but just as he threw it I body slammed into him tossing us both to the ground.

"Rick!" I yelled to him hoping he was able to do something about it as Imhotep engaged me in hand to hand on the ground. Damn it ugh I just wanna be done with these evil bastards.

"Sakhmet, now you die, again." I heard Imhotep say as he grabbed my throat. I kneed him in the crotch hoping to gain the upper hand he let go quickly as I rolled to my feet taking in the situation. Rick almost falling into a crevasse but ended up stabbing the Scorpion King, I smiled at my husband.

"RICK!" I yelled as I knew he was in danger to the souls of hell. I ran up to him with Imhotep behind me.

"Go to hell and take your friends with you!" Rick yelled at the King as he burst into black dust throwing me off my feet again back towards where I had started on the ground. There was a vibration that went through the temple the ceiling started falling. Fuck. Random stalagmites started falling from the ceiling. Rick had fallen into the crevasse along with Imhotep. Hell no, he wasn't leaving me yet. I stood against the fallen golden pot of fire bracing it as I planned my way to get to Rick.

"JOE! NO! GET OUT OF HERE, JUST GET OUT OF HERE." He yelled at me asking me to leave him. He didn't know me well enough if he thinks I was just going to leave him. I stole a glace at Evy begging her to leave with Jon and Alex. She nodded slowly. I looked back at Rick his blue eyes meeting mine.

"NO!" Rick begged me yelling his last attempt to stop me. I bolted immediately towards him dodging the stalagmites falling near me almost falling in my attempt to get my husband back. I almost got crushed multiple times but I didn't care as I saw Rick fall back again. No, this could not be happening.

"Hang on Rick!" I heard my brother yell to him. I jumped towards him finally meeting his hands with mine. God I missed him. I pulled on his neck trying to help him with my strength to pull himself out of this crevasse.

"Anck-Su-Namun HELP ME!" I heard Imhotep next to us.

"NO!" She yelled running away at the danger. I pulled Rick up by his straps for his gun holsters as he was finally up I hugged him quickly. Rick pulled me back up against a podium that was still standing hugging me from behind. Imhotep looked at us, tears in his eyes as he finally gave up. He fell down the souls of hell tearing him apart. I finally could breathe, Rick pulled me out of the chamber running me out to the outside where Jon, Evy and Alex had just gotten. We climbed some stairs outside the pyramid. The entire forest was being sucked into the pyramid.

"This whole damn place is gonna get sucked up, Lets move up!" Rick yelled to our family.

"Go, Alex!" Jon helped him up to the top.

"Rick, were trapped!" Evy yelled over the noise. I hugged myself into Rick as I knew the inevitable was here. I pulled Jon in with the rest of us hugging.

"Get your butts moving! Hurry up! I haven't got all day!" I heard a familiar voice. Rick let go of me quickly.

"IZZY!" he yelled. The sight of Izzy in his floating boat made me so happy I could cry. We started climbing onto the dirigible. Evy and I climbed up and helped Alex onto it. Rick came with us holding on and pulling himself up I went to help him. Jon got stuck on the net.

"Jonathan! Hold on!" Evy and I yelled to him as he fell down his foot hanging on the net.

"Pull him up! Pull him up!" Izzy yelled.

"Pull me up!" Jon agreed.

"Wait! Wait! Let me down! Let me down!" Jon yelled. I was in shock, what the hell Jon no we are pulling you up! I looked over the side he was looking at the huge diamond that covered the pyramids top. I rolled my eyes unhappily.

"It's not worth your life, you idiot!" Rick yelled at him. I agreed. Damn you Jonathan.

"Yes, it is! Yes, it is!" He disagreed as he grabbed the diamond. I laughed, my stupid brother. Jon started screaming hysterically as the pyramid went up in sand.

"Pull me up! Pull me up!" He yelled again. It took a joint effort to finally get him up. Izzy pulled the 'go fast lever' and we were all panting on the floor as everyone was safe. Izzy started yelling as he knew we were finally free. When he was done with his screaming he started complaining.

"O'Connell, you almost got me killed!" he yelled at Rick and I.

"At least you didn't get shot." Rick breathed out.

"Thank you! Thank you!" Evy ran up to Izzy kissing him on the cheeks stunning the man happily.

"O'Connell, who the hell have you been messing with this time, huh?" He asked finally.

"You know, the usual. Mummies, pygmies... Big bugs." He explained to Izzy as I went to the side of the ship staring out at Egypt. I saw Ardeth out there. I wondered if Evy was leaving us again. He kissed his fingers and gestured to his head throwing it to us. I smiled at him nodding promptly. Rick behind me, Evy strode up to us. I looked at her expectantly, she just smiled. Alex yelled,

"DAD!" I smiled at him.

"We'll see him soon Alex." Evy whispered into his ear happy we all made it out alive.

"I thought I almost lost you there." Rick said turning me to face him.

"For a moment there, you did. Would you like to know what heaven looks like?" I smiled at him as he moved my hair behind my ear.

"Later." He said as he kissed me lovingly making sure I didn't speak anymore. My heart skipped a beat as it always did when he kissed me. My arms tangled around his neck deepening the kiss. I missed him so much, it was so good to be back.

"Oh, please!" I heard Alex, Jonathan and Evy say laughing and walking away from us.

"That's half mine, you know." I heard Izzy say. I blocked out the rest of the bickering conversation they were having and just focused on Rick and I.

I knew this might be the end of our Egyptian adventures but I would always have a bit of it with me being a reincarnated princess tends to stick with a person. Sakhmet is who I was and who had molded me into the human I was today whether I knew it or not. I knew we would always have ties to this place because of Ardeth along with many other things. I happily pulled away from Rick and he hugged me into his chest. This was right where I was supposed to be, with him and my family for the rest of my days. It was good to see my parents again but I needed to be with the living a bit longer.

"So, what do you think about having a kid?" Rick whispered into my ear so only I could hear him. I laughed smiling up at him unsure of the idea.

"We'll talk." I laughed kissing him again just happy to be with him again. And so our journey back to London began. Alex was safe and no more harm would be done by Imhotep, everything was perfect.


	10. Sequel

Sequel is up now on my profile called Stained Love.


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